


Tempering Steel

by tptigger



Category: The Tomorrow People (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:12:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2832779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptigger/pseuds/tptigger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlotte is tired of feeling overlooked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tempering Steel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everchangingmuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/everchangingmuse/gifts).



> Many thanks to htbthomas for the beta.

"Argh!" Charlotte threw the Percy Jackson book, sending it right from the couch where she was sitting and sending it careening to the couch opposite. It landed at Mike's feet.

"I doubt the library would appreciate that," Mike scolded, scowling and picking up the book. He got up off the couch and handed it back to Charlotte. "If you get Stephen fined for damaging it, I doubt he'll borrow another one for you."

Charlotte sighed, flopping back on the couch dramatically, her feet hanging over the arm. "I can't read this, it's too hard." She threw an arm over her eyes for effect.

Mike rolled his eyes. "You'll never learn if you don't practice." He walked off.

Charlotte shifted to a sitting position, opened the book again and glared at it.

Irene walked out of her laboratory area. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad." She sat next to Charlotte.

Charlotte sighed. "I'm pretty sure it's for younger kids, but I'm still having trouble with it."

"You did miss a lot of school," Irene said.

"Errol tried to teach me some stuff, but math was easier. You need books to practice reading." Charlotte closed the book, spinning it in her hands.

"Maybe your problem is you're flying solo." Irene gently took the book from her. "I read the first couple of these before the movie came out. They were pretty good."

Charlotte looked up at her and wrinkled her nose. "Weren't you in high school or something?"

"College already, actually." Irene blushed. "I used to sneak kids books inside of Tennessee Williams and James Joyce or whatever everyone else was reading because I felt so awkward being younger than everyone else and even though I could read those books, they were really boring."

Charlotte nodded. "I guess it's kind of the opposite with me: Stephen got this because it's probably what I should be reading, but it's too hard! At least he's treating me like I'm the right age: sometimes people treat me like a little kid. Did people sometimes stop talking when you walked into the room? People do that around me all the time, like they're afraid they're going to break me or something if I hear the wrong thing."

"I think they're more scared of what John would do to them if you heard something that upset you," Irene said.

Charlotte snorted. "Maybe. I just..." she trailed off, pulling her knees into her chest.

"You just?" Irene prompted.

Charlotte shifted, sitting cross legged and resting her elbows on her knees, and then her head in her hands.

"Charlotte?" Irene turned, tucking her legs under her knees so that she could face Charlotte.

"Sometimes everyone treats me like I'm made of glass," Charlotte said. "I'm not."

"More like tempered steel," Irene said. "We're just making sure that you've had a chance to cool off before we start piling on more challenges."

Charlotte cocked her head at Irene.

"They basically heat metal to just under its critical point," Irene said. "It gets some of the hardness out, just enough that it gets extra tough."

Charlotte squinted at her. "If it's softer, wouldn't it be less tough?"

"Not necessarily, what happens when you drop a piece of raw spaghetti?"

"It breaks," Charlotte replied.

"And cooked spaghetti?"

"It flops over and looks sad," Charlotte said.

"Yes," Irene said, "but it stays in one piece. The thing is, that the steel has to cool in still air, or it breaks. We know just how tough you can be, but you need to recover from the heating first."

Charlotte turned to Irene, eyes narrowed. "How long does it take steel to temper?"

"I don't know, awhile," Irene said. "It kind of depends on the steel. No need to rush--if you try to work with it before it's done cooling, it just messes everything up."

Charlotte nodded. "So we're just keeping the air still."

"Exactly." Irene handed her the book. "Why don't you show me where you were getting stuck? I can help."

Charlotte smiled and opened the book.


End file.
